What the Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning received was not the Raikage's letter pleading for forgiveness, but an even more shocking piece of news.
The Raikage indeed followed the Feudal Lord's order and set off for the Feudal Lord Mansion.
But he was not alone; instead, he brought an entire army of shinobi with him!
When the Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning received this news, he was instantly furious.
He immediately issued a decree, harshly questioning the Raikage's intentions and ordering the samurai armies along the way to intercept him.
However, the Hidden Cloud shinobi forces advanced with unstoppable momentum.
Those samurai clad in armor and wielding long swords were like paper before ninjutsu.
In a single encounter, the samurai army was routed and fled in panic.
The Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning finally grew afraid.
Changing his previous firm tone, he issued three decrees in succession, stating, "If the Raikage withdraws now, I can overlook what has happened."
The shinobi forces of the Hidden Cloud Village, however, had absolutely no intention of withdrawing.
They made a triumphant and rapid advance all the way, with the towns along the route opening their gates to surrender one after another.
The newspapers of the Feudal Lord Mansion were still condemning the Raikage in writing and speech just the day before.
"The despicable and shameless Raikage is advancing toward the Feudal Lord Mansion."
Once the samurai army was routed by the Raikage, the newspapers changed to:
"The Raikage's forces are approaching the Feudal Lord Mansion; the situation remains under control."
When the Raikage's shinobi army finally entered the Feudal Lord Mansion,
The newspapers had already changed to:
"Welcome the supreme Lord Raikage back to his loyal Feudal Lord Mansion."
At last, the Raikage led the shinobi and charged into the palace of the Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning.
The Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning knelt in the great hall, watching the muscular Raikage, whose eyes were filled with killing intent, approach step by step.
In a trembling voice, he said:
"You... you cannot kill me... I am the Feudal Lord... of the Land of Lightning..."
The Raikage did not let him finish speaking, ending his life with absolute swiftness.
That night, blood flowed like a river in the Feudal Lord Mansion of the Land of Lightning.
The Feudal Lord's relatives, close ministers, and guards were almost entirely slaughtered.
Only the Feudal Lord's youngest son fortunately survived.
As the news spread, the entire shinobi world was shaken by it.
"The Raikage is insane! He actually killed the Feudal Lord of the Land of Lightning!"
"This is a rebellion! An outright rebellion!"
"The heavens of the Land of Lightning are about to change..."
No one noticed that the corpses on the battlefield always vanished mysteriously.
Some were Hidden Cloud shinobi who were "killed" in battle, while others were Feudal Lord Mansion samurai killed during the resistance.
Their corpses were secretly carted away at night by black-masked Uchiha Anbu.
Ultimately, they were sent to Hozuki Island, becoming nutrients for the Divine Tree.
Everything that happened in the Land of Lightning was, of course, part of Gento's chessboard.
On the third day after the "Great Purge" in the Land of Lightning, the entire Land of Lightning fell into gloom.
Particularly, all the nobles fell into a state of panic.
The shinobi led by the Raikage primarily slaughtered the Feudal Lord and these nobles, rather than the commoners.
This meant their lives could be lost at any moment.
Only a minority of nobles fortunately escaped the Land of Lightning.
Seeking refuge, they fled to the Land of Hot Water, which was currently the safest place in the entire shinobi world.
The moment they set foot on the soil of Cerulean Harbor, their hanging hearts finally settled down.
Here, there were Uchiha Anbu patrolling, and top-tier powerhouses like Shisui and Itachi holding the fort; no matter how long the Raikage's blade was, it could not reach this far.
However, after finding safety, new problems arose.
The vast amount of assets they had left behind in the Land of Lightning and the properties they could not carry away caused them immense heartache.
Those manors, shops, and savings in the vaults were the lifeblood of several generations.
But as for letting them go back to retrieve them, who dared?
Having barely survived a disaster, no one was going to go back to court death.
Just when they were in despair, someone thought of the Raikage's invasion of Crescent Island and his subsequent repulse by the Hidden Gento Village.
Their hearts, which had sunk to the very bottom, suddenly burned with hope again.
"Gento can repel the Raikage, he will definitely be able to save us!"
"That's right! Beg Lord Gento to dispatch troops! Restore order to the Land of Lightning!"
A few nobles who had escaped clicked immediately, instantly submitting a joint petition requesting the Hidden Gento Village to dispatch troops.
The wording was sincere and sorrowful; some were even willing to offer a handsome reward, begging Gento Uchiha to save the Land of Lightning.
However, in the face of the pleas for help from the nobles of the Land of Lightning, Gento showed a troubled expression.
Looking at the nobles kneeling all over the floor, he let out a sigh:
"When I helped Crescent Island before, some questioned my motives, saying that I, an Uchiha, harbor wild ambitions."
"As for the internal affairs of the Land of Lightning today, it is truly inconvenient for my Land of Hot Water to intervene..."
The nobles instantly grew anxious.
Someone lashing out on the spot, cursing those who questioned Gento:
"Which bastard said that!"
"Exactly, Lord Gento is the kindest person in the shinobi world! His assistance to Crescent Island was a benevolent deed, saving so many innocent commoners!"
"Indeed, for them to say such things, has their conscience been eaten by dogs?"
Another noble pleaded with tears and a shaking voice:
"Lord Gento! The Raikage has gone mad! He even dared to kill the Feudal Lord, and the next step will be to lay hands on us nobles! You cannot stand by and watch us die!"
"Yes, Lord Gento! If you do not dispatch troops, our Land of Lightning will truly be finished!"
"We beg of you!"
The nobles kowtowed repeatedly, choking with tears.
A few old men, thinking of the vast amount of wealth they had not had time to take with them, cried to the point of nearly fainting, held up by their attendants to prevent them from collapsing.
Gento declined the requests of the nobles politely, stating, "Allow me to consider it further."
After they left, Mabui walked into the study.
She placed a stack of documents on the desk, hesitated for a moment, and still inquired:
"Lord, why did you not seize the opportunity to dispatch troops?"
"The Raikage is one of ours. If we dispatch troops now, with the Raikage's cooperation, it is highly likely that we will de facto occupy the Land of Lightning, and these nobles will also become your loyal supporters."
A smile curled at the corners of Gento's lips:
"It is still too early to make a move now."
"The Raikage's slaughter is not yet ruthless enough, and the fear of these nobles is not yet intense enough."
"I want them to lose all hope for their assets in the Land of Lightning amidst despair. Only then will I make my move, take back what belongs to them, and return it to them."
"Only then will they truly and wholeheartedly feel grateful to me and support me."
Mabui nodded thoughtfully.
"Furthermore..."
Gento stood up, walked over to her, his gaze falling upon her delicate face.
"You hail from the Hidden Cloud, so you understand the situation in the Land of Lightning better than I do."
"When we take the Land of Lightning in the future, I will need someone to help me govern it."
"Are you willing?"
Mabui was slightly startled, then hurriedly lowered her head:
"This subordinate obeys your arrangements, Lord."
Gento nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, subsequent to which his interest was piqued, and one of his hands had already climbed onto her waist.
Mabui's body trembled slightly, yet she did not dodge.
As for Gento's preferences, she, as his female secretary, had long since grown accustomed to them.
Gento's hand gently caressed her waist, and just as he was about to go a step further, his expression suddenly shifted.
A familiar fluctuation of chakra came from the ring on the ring finger of his right hand.
It was none other than the Astral Projection Jutsu used by the Akatsuki for communication.
Someone was summoning the Akatsuki to gather!
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